High Level Group monitoring simplification for beneficiaries of ESI Funds

Autres outils

The future of EU finances: High Level Group presents proposals to simplify access to EU funds

11/07/2017

Although the achievements of the EU Cohesion Policy are undeniably positive, the current volume of rules does not always make life easy for local authorities managing EU funds or businesses looking to apply for EU funding. Simplification is therefore key and the European Commission should look into how to further simplify access to EU funds in the budget framework post 2020.

This is the main message that the High Level Group of Simplification seeks to feed into the discussion on the future of the EU finances which the Commission launched on 28 June with its dedicated reflection paper, the final paper in the series of five reflection documents released following the publication on 1 March of the Commission's White Paper on the Future of Europe.

For More Information

Factsheet – key recommendations of the High Level Group on Simplification for the post 2020 framework

Assess the uptake of simplification opportunities by Member States including Member States' commitments to reduce the administrative burden for beneficiaries as set out in their partnership agreements covering the ESI Funds for 2014-2020, taking into account the specificities of the different ESI Funds.

Analyse the implementation of simplification opportunities in Member States and regions, taking account of a study on the use of new provisions on simplification during the early implementation phase of the European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds and their impact on administrative burden and costs;

Identify good practice in matters concerning the reduction of administrative burden on beneficiaries; and,

Make recommendations to improve the uptake of simplification measures for 2014-2020, in particular in view of its mid-term review in 2016, and on the way forward for the post-2020 regulatory framework for ESI Funds.

Members of the High level group

The group consists of twelve members appointed in a personal capacity and is chaired by Former Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas.

List of members

Siim Kallas, Chairperson

Siim Kallas has extensive experience with how the EU works having worked two terms in the Barroso commission. He is familiar with the challenges of simplifying regulations at the European scale. He was firstly Commission Vice-President responsible for administrative and audit and anti-fraud matters, and secondly, for transport. At the same time he is an ex-Prime Minister and finance minister of a small and well-functioning country with an effective administration. His role in reforming the country as the finance minister and prime minister and seeing the economic transformation brought about by a combination of EU financial support and reform gives him a unique perspective to how to best couple EU funding with progress on the ground. He has a background in economics and finance and is currently a visiting professor at the University of Tartu.
Considering his wide experience in the above topics, he was considered to be well placed to offer a fresh view on the possibilities of delivering the ESI Funds on the ground in a simpler manner.

Jean-Pierre Audy

Former President of the Public Sector Committee of the National Authority of Auditors, France. Former MEP and vice-chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control. More than twenty years' experience in audit in the private sector including as technical advisor to the International Auditing Practices Committee of the International Federation of Accountants.

Michael Berkery

Chairman of FBD Holdings. Chairman of the National Agricultural Research, Education and Innovation Partnership in Ireland. Former CEO of Irish Farmers Association and served on the Praesidium of COPA for over twenty five years.

Anna Lisa Boni

Secretary General of EUROCITIES since 2014. More than twenty years' experience in European policies and funding concerning and involving the regional and local levels of government, including ERDF and ESF programmes. Former Director of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Office in Brussels.

Pawel Chorąży

Deputy minister - Ministry of Economic Development (Poland). Fifteen years' experience in management of EU Funds, including as the Director of the ESF Department. An expert in strategic planning and implementation with a proven track record in simplification through the Simple Funds Taskforce in Poland.

Håkan Forsberg

Over seven years' experience of managing ESF in Sweden and member of the national steering group for the co-ordination of ESI Funds. Pioneer for ESF simplified costs including bringing Sweden to be the first Member States to apply for a delegated act on the methodology.

Iulia Hertzog

Head of Managing Authority for ETC Programmes in Romania with fourteen years of cohesion policy experience, through the cycle from pre-accession onwards, including managing six cross border programmes covering ERDF, ENPI and IPA funding.

Erwin Huber

Chair of the Committee of Economic Affairs of Bavarian Parliament. Former Bavarian State Minister of Finance and Economy with vast experience in the ERDF programmes in Bavaria and in administrative reform and reduction of administrative burden.

Malina Kroumova

Deputy Minister for Regional Development and Public Works (Council of Ministers, Bulgaria). Over ten years' experience in EU Funds management and simplification for beneficiaries including roles as Deputy Prime Minister for EU funds, Deputy Minister for the Environment, Director of Systems for EU Funds and Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister.

Olga Letáčková

Deputy Minister - National Coordination Authority (Czech Republic). Over seven years' experience in Cohesion Policy programmes including as Director General of the National Coordination Authority responsible for simplification of rules of implementation for beneficiaries and managing authorities.

Massimo Sabatini

Director of Department for Regional Policy and Territorial Cohesion at Confindustria. Long experience as cohesion policy expert and in both industry and trade union organisations. More than twelve years of experience in policies related to SME's access to funding opportunities .

Terri Thomas

Deputy Director of Rural Development and Head of Managing Authority (Wales, UK). More than twenty years' experience in EAFRD and EMFF programmes. Recently worked on aligning the policies and joint approaches between the ESI Funds in Wales.

Louis Vervloet

General Director of ESF-Agency Flanders. Long career of implementing ESF including introducing e-Cohesion and simplified costs options in Flanders.

Presentation and discussion on the results of the study on new provisions on the consideration given to administrative burden in programming documents.

Report on achievement of e-Governance target and good practice examples for e-cohesion. (Rapporteur: Terri Thomas)

Evidence from managing authorities and stakeholders on the advantages and challenges of simplified costs and JAPs, and from ETC programmes on specific challenges for simplified costs. (Rapporteur: Louis Vervloet)